Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-08-02
REPORTS OF THE CROPS.
WHAT ARM d sas ~ rms A8sfCUL-
rUsAl sOOsRfr sA1 OF f6sM.


County - robacco aeoWipg Ftnsiy. Grapes
ssd rear shor. Bus Ooru ssd Potatoes
Promise wsl,-Nr. iInsiiis's Letter.
The monthly meeting OF the Lancaster
County Agricultural and horticultural s,Giety
WAS held In the hall OF the Y. NJ. &. A., Mon. |
day afternoon. The following named mem
bers were present: J. II. l.andis presiiep',
Millersville; Calvin Cooper, Bird-in Hand
Casper Hitler, Conestoga; Frank X. pif,en-
derifer, city; John II. Rudy, city /: Daniel
Smeycb, city; J. A. Herr, West Lampeter
ID. NJ. Swsrr. city; Levi q. Gstz, East Hem.
field j. NJ, Johnston, city jacob Il. Hipple,
city Ezrsh Burkholder, West Earl Henry
NJ. Engle, Marietta; Levi =. Reist, oregon
johnson Miller, Warwick NJ. II. Kendig,
Cresswell: 5. Y. Eby, city II. X. Fulton,
city: J. u. Rush, West Willow; Eph. 4.
Hoover, Mannheim John A. Stober, Shoeueck:
Ahram Sunny, Marietta John Kready,
Mount JOY; Dr. J. Z. Brobst, Warwick
Charles n. Derr, Lttitz Daniel u. Herr,
Manor Christian r. Herr, Manor David Il.
Lands, Manor; Albeit Il. Worth, ColerAiu
James Collins, Colerain: II. Nj, Mayer, East
Hempneld.
In the absence of the secretary, Calvin
Cooper was appointed secretary pro tsm.
REPORTS OF THE CEoFs.
Casper Hitler reported apples aud peaches
almost total failure pears not much better
raspberries and black berries very good corn
and tobacco never looked better; not much
rain fell during July; parties plowing this
morning turned up dry ground not enough
hail fell to do any harm.
Henry NJ. Ensle agreed with Mr.. Hitler
except that the pear crop is better in the
neighborhood OF Marietta grapes promise
well hot weather is favorable to them; the
corn suffered some for want of rain the cats
crop was rather short the grass and clover
look well.
Calvin Cooper said both corn and potatoes
suffered for want of rain, while all around
them were copious rains tobacco looks ex-
cellent and growers are beginning to cut it
oil the fruit crops are poor, except grapes
which are looking very well.
Daniel Smeych reported the grape crop in
this city almost total failure; he did not eN-
pect to have enough to pay for the picking
Frank X. Dtieuderifer corroborated him.
NJ. ID. kendig reported the wheat crop very
light; tobacco excellent; fruit light; the
caterpiiars destroyed the pears; there are
very few apples.
President Lands reported wheat light in
tobacco look excellent; no fruits look we'll
| except grapes
johnson Miller reported wheat only half q
crop; corn growing nicely, though the storm
OF Sunday injured it somew hat tobacco
looks first rate; oats heavy bat hard to hsr-
vest; grass and pasture look we'll.
j. A. Herr said the wheat crop WAS rather
short owing to the early hail storm tobacco
and corn look we'll the grapes were pjured
by the hail the crop will be small.
ABOUT POTATO CULTURE.
}. Hoffman Hershey said wheat WAS shcrt :
coro, oats aud tobacco are very tine: potatoes
excellent and abundant; he planted the
ONO Early variety and hardly had a small
potato in his patch. In planting he left the
first cellar sprout. on the seed and did not
cut the seed, but planted the potato whole
Some other varieties trom which he took The
sprouts did not do near 40 we'll. The apples,
pears and peaches don't amount TO much in
his neighborhood.
| Casper Hitler said his way Of planting pota
toes " as to put the seed into the ground ii rs
and put the fertilizr r on top of ii. In one
row last year he forgot to put the fertilizer
but afterwards scattered some of 1t on top O.
the ground, and In that row he had the bes
potatoes in the lot He compounded his OWL
adopted to his soil than that sold by msnufac
| turerA
| Calvin Cooper said potatoes may be brought
to perfection fully two weeks earlier, If the
seed potatoes lie in light warm room to sprout
and then when planting time comes they will
be found to have strong, green, vigorous
sprouts Plant the seed thus prepared very
carefully and the young plants will very soon
make their appearance above ground.
ii. NJ. Engle urged the planting of early
potatoes ~ early rs possible, whether the
seed be sprouted or other ise. The potato
requires y cool, moist condition of the ground
Late potatoes may be planted Iate in June
or early in July, and they will generally
mature before the inst frost Potatoes will
stand any amount OF cold ~ the stalks do
not freeza
LETTER FROM SECRETARY LINvILLE.
President Lands presented the society
with the following letter from John c. Lin
vile, who has just completed q trip across
the continent
SASfRhsCIsCO. July -, lSs7.
Fr.endsI Member, Of ne Lancaster County
-i9rtcUHHrdt and horticultural Society.
Knowing that you are Interested in occi-
dental agriculture, sent you short state
ment OF condition OF crops, made OF bar
vesting, etc. When ] first set foot in Sac
rsmento Valley, on June %, the wheat
crop was dead ripe, and seemed to be half
harvested, and now, one month later, there
arc thousands Of acres of Whest in Cali
fornia untouched by the sickle. The Cali.
iornis farmer is possessed OF an unlimited
amount OF patience. II he cannot harvest
his wheat today, he will wait until
next week or next month or two months
hence. He has unlimited faith In the
weather, and 1t never dScsives him. Most OF
the grain here is gathered by headers, pro-
pelled by four horses, and Ii drawn on piles
10 await the coming OF the steam thresher,
but this process Is too slow for the immense
ranches OF the Sacramento and San JOAQUIN
valleys, where the wheat fields seem illimits.
bic in extent On these fields the travelling
harvester and thresher, driven by twenty
four mules or twenty. five horse traction
engine, cuts and threshes forty acres per day,
the grain being sewed up In sacks, ready Tor
shipment A part OF the straw 10 used for
fuel and the remainder IL thrown OIL In
punches, where 1t lies drying in the sun
until the same engine again passes over the
field with fifteen or twenty plOWs attached
brsakin the ground for another crop. The
remainder OF the straw IL now used to fire
the engine for plowing. Thousands OF sacks
OF grain are piled up in fields at steamboat
landings and at railroad stations, awaiting
transportation. The wheat crop OF California
Is light, ranging from 10 to Is bushels per
scr6. Some fields are not worth cutting, but